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Dyslexic people aren’t disabled, mainstream education is.
Taare Zameen Par, a 2007 Hindi drama film produced and directed by Aamir Khan did more than entertain the audience for three hours. It sparked a discussion.
The story is about a dyslexic student who is unable to cope with traditional text-based education. He is termed "lazy", "stupid", and many more similar phrases due to his lack of good grades. He comes across a teacher who recognizes his dyslexia and teaches him the way he would understand (remedial techniques). Eventually, he succeeds in school and his artistic abilities make him confident.
The inception of the industrial era and mass communication led to a rapid spread of information via text- thereby inhibiting the dyslexics with that information. It is theorized that at least 20% of the general population is dyslexic. The industrial era locked the doors for people with dyslexia to grow.
American statistics indicate that around 35% of dyslexics drop out of high school, and 50% of drug addicts are dyslexic. There is no such statistic measured in India.
However, dyslexia isn't all bad. Dyslexics have a better grasp at finding patterns and thereby excel in the fields of entrepreneurship, the arts, the sciences, architecture, and engineering. The only reason they don't get to that stage of learning is because of the stigma around not being able to read.
Psychologist Dr Gershen Kaufman claims that the amount of shame one feels when one is unable to read is the same as taking part in incest. I feel this problem is entirely caused by the education system that mostly revolves around written exams, bulky textbooks and idolizes children with good grades.
Before the release of 'Taare Zameen Par', not a lot of people were aware of learning disabilities like Dyslexia. Now, everybody knows the story of a young Ishaan Nandkishor Awasthy who found his purpose in life, thanks to his mother, best friend, and more importantly, the teacher who always believed in him- Ram Shankar Nikumbh.
References-
Bragonier, D. S. (2015, November 24). The True Gifts of a Dyslexic Mind | Dean Bragonier | TEDxMarthasVineyard. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dPyzFFcG7A.
I completely agree with the author! We need a better and more inclusive society and education system because without that we are left with children who are excluded for something they cannot control! Thank you for making this post!